A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu did not dwell on Xie Qiuniang’s true identity. Instead, he looked toward the silent man and asked, “May I ask who this brother is?”

Before Qin Xiang could introduce him, the man spoke up. “I’m Zhao Xuanting, from Xijing Prefecture.”

Qi Xuansu immediately thought of someone—Prince Qin of the Qingping Society.

The first time Qi Xuansu met Li Qingnu, she conveyed a message from Madam Qi that a group of people was eyeing him and warned him to be cautious for the time being.

This group consisted of Qingping Society’s B-rank members, who went by the pseudonyms Prince Qin, Xie Qiuniang, and Hua Jianyi.

According to Madam Qi, Prince Qin and Xie Qiuniang had gone to Zhongzhou, while Hua Jianyi had been keeping an eye on his movements.

The swindlers Qi Xuansu encountered in Jinguan Prefecture seemed odd at the time, but in hindsight, they were likely subordinates of Hua Jianyi.

This man was with Xie Qiuniang and hailed from Xijing Prefecture. The last name Zhao belonged to the royal family of the Jin Dynasty, and Xijing Prefecture was the capital of Qinzhou, so it was hard not to associate this man with Prince Qin.

Qi Xuansu kept his expression neutral, merely nodding and saying, “Greetings, Brother Zhao.”

Qin Wubing noticed some tension between the two couples. As the highest-ranking person present, he felt obliged to mediate. “Let’s not stand around to talk. Everyone, take a seat.”

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu exchanged a glance and took their seats.

The six people sat at the round table. Qi Xuansu sat with Zhang Yuelu, who was sitting next to Qin Xiang. Next to the District Princess was Qin Wubing, who was also sitting beside Zhao Xuanting. The circle was completed with Xie Qiuniang sitting between Zhao Xuanting and Qi Xuansu.

Qin Wubing naturally took the lead in the conversation. The last time he had rescued Qin Xiang, he could not keep her in the military camp indefinitely, so he had to eventually escort her back home.

Of course, Qin Xiang’s family could not ignore this goodwill and had to express their gratitude properly.

The degree of gratitude was directly tied to status. If an unknown soldier had saved Qin Xiang, a monetary reward might have sufficed. But since Qin Wubing was the rescuer, it became a colossal debt of favor.

This was not necessarily a bad thing because favors brought connections. Through this exchange of goodwill, the two families formed a bond that could even develop into an alliance.

This time, Qin Wubing was returning home and passing through Longmen Prefecture, so Qin Xiang hosted a banquet to welcome him and invited two friends to join—Xie Qiuniang and Zhao Xuanting. Unexpectedly, they ran into Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

For Qin Xiang, this was a moment of pure joy because both of her benefactors were present. In addition, the legendary Banished Immortal Zhang Yuelu’s presence was also a pleasant surprise.

But the other two guests were not so delighted to see Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

Qin Xiang deliberately sat next to Zhang Yuelu so that she could chat with her and ask her all the burning questions she had about the Daoist Order and Banished Immortals.

Zhang Yuelu always showed cold indifference to those with ulterior motives, but when dealing with someone as pure as Qin Xiang, she could not bring herself to completely shut the poor girl out. So she helplessly responded to every question.

Qi Xuansu remained mostly silent, observing Xie Qiuniang and Zhao Xuanting. While he was unsure about Zhao Xuanting’s abilities, Xie Qiuniang’s skills had left a deep impression on him.

If he were to face off with Xie Qiuniang now, he could not guarantee a victory. It was also possible that Zhao Xuanting was even stronger than Xie Qiuniang, which made him a Heavenly Being.

After all, Li Qingnu had mentioned that both Prince Qin and Xie Qiuniang were B-rank members, which meant they were either of noble status or possessed extraordinary cultivation.

Of course, while Qi Xuansu was observing the two, they were also watching Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu. It felt a bit like poking a wolf with a stick—both sides were wary of each other.

Qin Wubing took all this in but pretended not to notice. He did not want to get involved in such a mess because both sides had significant backgrounds, so it was best not to offend either.

In truth, Qi Xuansu had complicated feelings. Madam Qi had long told him that the Qingping Society was not united and that infighting among members was common. The two before him were clearly enemies, but Qi Xuansu also had his concerns. He feared that these two might expose his identity as a Qingping Society member.

At that moment, Xie Qiuniang suddenly said, “Mage Zhang, your reputation precedes you, as you’re renowned as the youngest Deputy Hall Master with limitless potential. But I haven’t heard of Daoist Qi. For him to have reached the fifth rank at such a young age, he must have extraordinary talents.”

Qi Xuansu was not foolish. He understood that this was a test. These people had their eyes on the Xuan Jade, so they wanted to probe his abilities to confirm whether the Xuan Jade had fallen into his hands.

He responded, “Miss Xie, are you questioning my abilities? Why not be straightforward about it?”

Xie Qiuniang replied nonchalantly, “The Daoist Order’s promotion system has always been strict. Even exceptional talents like Li Changge and Yao Pei are not exempt from the tenure system. To be promoted outside the rules, one must have achieved extraordinary merits.

“You must have great accomplishments to have risen to the fifth rank at your age. How could a powerless woman like me dare to question you, Daoist Qi?”

She paused slightly before continuing, “However, I have been learning the art of self-cultivation from my teacher. Although he repeatedly reminded me that cultivation is not for competition or aggression, I can’t help but feel the urge to spar whenever I encounter a peer with superior skills.”

Qi Xuansu retorted, “Those words sound a bit pretentious. If cultivation wasn’t for the sake of increasing strength and resilience, then our Daoist predecessors wouldn’t have perished at the hands of the Confucians.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the table turned chilly.

Zhang Yuelu cleared her throat and chided, “Those are ancient history. It’s best not to say things that could harm the unity between the Confucian School and the Daoist Order.”

Qi Xuansu did not defend himself. “It’s my mistake; I’ll drink this cup of wine as punishment.”

With that, he raised his cup and drank it in one go.

Xie Qiuniang added calmly, “In truth, I also agree with Daoist Qi’s perspective. Those who wield weapons often harbor a killing intent. If one’s cultivation doesn’t lead to immortality, then naturally, it’s used for fighting and killing. Among the countless cultivators in the world, how many truly aim for immortality?

“Even Immortals have moments of wrath. Back then, when the deposed Heavenly Preceptor Zhang Jingchen plotted against the Holy Xuan’s wife, the Holy Xuan went into a fit of rage and destroyed Yunjin Mountain.”

What she said was the truth. Except for a small number of prodigies, most people did not aim for immortality. It was like being an official; after ten years of study, one would be content landing a minor position. After becoming a county magistrate, one might aspire to be a prefectural magistrate and a provincial governor. No one actually started off aiming to be the prime minister.

Xie Qiuniang continued, “The Imperial Court doesn’t maintain the Black Robes as a mere formality—they’re meant for war. Swords aren’t ceremonial objects—they’re instruments of killing, and swordsmanship is the art of killing.

“The Daoist mystical abilities can’t grant everyone immortality, but they are definitely deadly. At the end of the day, results are proven in combat. Today, I’d like to spar with you, Daoist Qi. What do you think?”

Sparring was a customary ritual in Jianghu. The original intention of sparring was mutual recognition of peers with comparable strength. Rather than fighting to the point of mutual destruction, sparring was about testing each other’s skills in a low-risk manner to determine superiority.

It also had a ceremonial aspect. When an elder publicly sparred with a junior, it usually signified that the junior had sufficient skills to inherit their mantle. Thus, it was akin to a public announcement that they were a worthy successor.

Since Qi Xuansu and Xie Qiuniang had no master-disciple relationship, this would simply be a test of skills. In truth, Xie Qiuniang preferred a sword duel, but out of consideration for Qin Wubing and Qin Xiang, she opted for sparring instead.

Qi Xuansu said, “I’m a wild Daoist by origin. This has a negative connotation that implies I’m a savage without regard for etiquette. I’m accustomed to life-and-death combat, so I don’t know the rules for sparring. As such, I must ask for guidance. How does one spar, exactly?”

Xie Qiuniang did not reply. Instead, she extended a finger and tapped lightly on the table.

A chopstick flew into the air in response.

Xie Qiuniang caught the chopstick, held one end, and extended the other end toward Qi Xuansu.

She said, “Back then, during the second year of the war between the Buddhist Sect and the Daoist Order in the Western Region, Donghuang visited the National Academy on behalf of the Holy Xuan, proposing to the Confucian School to join forces with the Daoist Order to quell the Buddhist rebellion.

“During the banquet, Donghuang picked up a chopstick and challenged the attendees to break it. He said if anyone succeeded in breaking his chopstick, he would immediately leave the National Academy and head to the Western Region. Today, I’d like to ask you the same question—can you break the chopstick in my hand, Daoist Qi?”